Australia's top netballers ready to dig in over more pay

AUSTRALIA'S world champion netballers are "up for a fight" and ready to take industrial action in a pay dispute with Netball Australia (NA) if talks fail.

The players' union is to meet with NA on Friday in the latest attempt to negotiate a new deal.

The Diamonds have taken the dispute to Fair Work Australia through the Australian Workers Union, with players asking for an increase from $200 to $400 per day of national team duty.

On average, players spend 50 contact days with the Australian team a year, earning them an income of around $10,000, the union says.

The increase would see that doubled to $20,000.

Netball Australia says it has offered players a 20 per cent pay increase, but the union says players won't accept that offer.

Australian Netball Players Association director John-Paul Blandthorn says the Diamonds are prepared to use industrial action if need be.

"The players are up for a fight," Blandthorn said.

"They're just sick and tired of it.

"It's not as if we're talking about the bottom 60 players in Australia. We're talking about the top 10.

"In any other sport - horse racing, AFL, cricket - all the top 10 athletes tend to earn okay money."

Blandthorn said netballers who play for both the national team and in the trans-Tasman league earn around $35,000 from playing netball each year.

But Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer said seven of the current Diamonds earn more than $100,000 from netball and related activities, with four of those earning over $150,000.

"We work very hard at making sure that, where possible, they can earn more income," Palmer said.

"We want to work with the players to ensure they have a really strong and successful future.

She said the current NA offer was solid.

"If I was given an increase of 20 per cent I would be pretty excited. However, I have to understand that we're not starting from a high base for a national commitment."

But she said Diamonds players were some of the most well-rewarded female athletes in the domestic market.

Blandthorn said following Friday's meeting, where he expects little to be resolved, the association could lodge a protected action ballot that would list several types of industrial action the club could take.

Actions considered include players refusing to play in the national team, refusing to allow their image to be used in advertising by Netball Australia and refusing to answer any emails from Netball Australia's domain name.

The team would have to vote on the ballot for industrial action to occur but Blandthorn is confident the players are 100 per cent committed.

If the Diamonds decide to strike, the move could effect other national teams including New Zealand, with Australia set to travel there later this year.

Palmer said she didn't think threatening the sport was an effective way of dealing with the dispute.

"I just don't see that as a very productive way of finding common ground," she said.